Do You Know the Warning Signs of A-Fib?

“Sometimes it also affects moods,” says Mark Estes, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and a cardiologist at the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Pittsburgh. “People may get a bit edgy [with] A-fib. So there’s a spectrum.”

With the warning signs all over the map, doctors say it’s not unusual for people to overlook A-fib symptoms when they first strike, or to attribute them to something else entirely. But doing so can be downright dangerous. 

For one, prolonged rapid beating of the heart brought on by A-fib can lead to heart failure, Cheung explains. Another big risk related to A-fib is stroke. When the upper chambers of the heart, known as the atria, are fibrillating and not contracting with a normal rhythm, blood can pool in the chamber and clots can form, Cheung says.

If a clot gets ejected and lodged in the brain or another part of the body, it can cause a stroke. “And so that is probably the most common and most potentially dangerous consequence of atrial fibrillation,” Cheung explains.

According to the CDC, the risk of stroke is five times higher for people with A-fib. With appropriate treatment, however, that risk “can be dramatically reduced, almost to zero,” Estes says.

‘This is nothing to play around with’

If you experience any of the warning signs of A-fib, experts say it’s important to see a doctor. How quickly you need to see one depends on the severity of your symptoms, Estes says. Like Abdul-Jabbar, some patients “feel so poorly that they have to be evaluated in the emergency room." (This is especially the case for individuals who experience chest pain.) “But most patients [with more mild symptoms] can see their doctor within a day or two,” Estes adds.

It’s possible not to have any symptoms, but to first notice signs of A-fib from your smartwatch, fitness monitor or blood pressure cuff. (You’ll notice random spikes in your pulse reading.) Even without symptoms, it’s crucial to get evaluated.

Medical tests such as an electrocardiogram (also known as an ECG or EKG) can confirm A-fib, and a menu of treatment options can help patients manage it. For example, there are blood thinners to prevent clots from forming and other medications like beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers to help control the heart’s rate and rhythm. Some people with A-fib may even benefit from surgery or other medical procedures.

“There is no one-size-fits-all,” Cheung says. “Even though it’s a very common arrhythmia, the way in which we treat it needs to be tailored for the individual patient.”

Lifestyle changes may also be part of the prescription. Getting regular exercise, losing weight and treating chronic health conditions like sleep apnea, diabetes and high blood pressure can help to minimize the burden of A-fib, Cheung says. The same goes for cutting out tobacco and cutting back on alcohol.

Since his diagnosis, Abdul-Jabbar says he’s working with his doctor to manage his A-fib. He’s also raising awareness around the importance of recognizing its symptoms and getting the appropriate care as the spokesperson for a new campaign called No Time to Wait.

“I want anybody that’s paying attention to me to understand that they need to go get those symptoms checked out. Don’t just assume that it’s a minor issue. It could be a major issue; it could threaten your life,” Abdul-Jabbar says. “This is nothing to play around with. Find out what’s going on in your body, and you will be doing yourself a favor.”​